Private US lander destroyed during reentry after failed mission to moon, company says
ABC News
A U.S. company's failed moonshot has ended with a fiery plunge over the South Pacific
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A U.S. company’s failed moonshot ended with a fiery plunge over the South Pacific, officials confirmed Friday.
Astrobotic Technology said contact and then tracking was lost as its lunar lander reentered Earth's atmosphere Thursday, 10 days after launching from Florida. It received confirmation Friday from U.S. Space Command that the spacecraft broke apart during its final moments, CEO John Thornton said.
A fuel leak shortly after liftoff had nixed any chance of a moon touchdown.
“What a wild adventure we were just on,” Thornton said. “Certainly not the outcome we were hoping for and certainly challenging right up front."
After consulting with NASA and other government experts, Astrobotic took steps to destroy its crippled lander in order to protect other spacecraft. Flight controllers at the company’s Pittsburgh headquarters briefly fired the engines, getting the lander in the right location for reentry despite little fuel.
